NBN rolling out in Forbes

The Nationals’ Federal Member for Riverina and Minister for Small Business has welcomed the news in excess of 3,600 homes and businesses in Forbes will soon have access to faster and more reliable internet access, with construction of the National Broadband Network now under way.

“The good news for Forbes is that better broadband is on its way,” Mr McCormack said.

“The NBN will open up a range of new opportunities for businesses, allow students to learn and engage with classmates in virtual classrooms, and make it easier for residents in Forbes to stay in touch with family and friends online.

Trucks, cables and Hi-Vis will not be an unfamiliar sight for locals over the coming weeks as NBN subcontractors connect the town with new high-speed broadband technology.

“High-speed broadband is the essential infrastructure of the 21st Century, and the NBN will provide the platform to deliver a range of economic and social benefits to residents and businesses in Forbes.

“Businesses in Forbes will be more productive as the NBN enables access to new online services such as cloud-based accounting software. Students will be able to participate in immersive learning experiences, from their classroom or at home and mums and dads will be able to take care of everyday tasks such as paying bills quickly and easily online.

“Meeting with small business owners and families across the electorate, I am buoyed by the positive stories people have shared with me about the benefits of the NBN and how it has helped to make life easier and business more efficient,” Mr McCormack said.

Homes and business in Forbes will be connected to the NBN using fibre to the node (FTTN) technology. FTTN offers average wholesale broadband speeds of around 70 megabits per second (Mbps), with many premises able to access speeds of up to 100 Mbps. NBN will ensure that at least 90 per cent of the fixed-line footprint will have access to wholesale download speeds of 50 Mbps –allowing at least 10 homes devices to connect to the internet simultaneously.

Fixed wireless is already live and available in the areas surrounding the Forbes town centre due to receive FTTN. Fixed wireless technology offers wholesale download speeds of up to 50 Mbps, more than twice as fast as ADSL2+ services experienced in metropolitan areas.

The Coalition Government is rolling out high-speed broadband across Australia in the fastest and most affordable way, with every home and business in Australia to be able to connect to the NBN by 2020.

“More than 80,000 homes and businesses across Australia are signing up to the NBN every single month, and the roll-out in the Riverina and Central West is progressing very well with almost 60,000 homes and businesses in the electorate now able to sign up to and access the benefits of the NBN,” Mr McCormack said.

As NBN construction is completed over the coming months in Forbes, residents and businesses will be able to sign up to an NBN plan with their chosen retail service provider, and receive a new modem to enable high-speed broadband. A range of plans with various download quotas and speed tiers are available to suit consumer and business needs.

More information on how to connect to the NBN is available by visiting: www.nbnco.com.au